Motor Sport, Formula One News:Ron Dennis, the beleaguered McLaren principal, was yesterday offered the total support of the team's engine partner.

Daimler AG, the owner of Mercedes-Benz as well as having a 40 per cent stake in the British team, added their backing after the team were fined 72 million by the FIA motor sport council and deprived of all of their constructors' championship points.

Norbert Haug, Mercedes' motor sport vice-president, was asked if the company still remain enthusiastic about their support for Formula One. "Of course we do," he replied. "This is not up for discussion. We also stand by our partner McLaren."

Asked if he was concerned about a possible Mercedes withdrawal from the sport, he added: "No worries at all."

Haug's comments followed a statement issued by Mercedes expressing its disappointment the FIA did not accept an invitation to check the specification of McLaren's race vehicles when the controversy broke out. "Our partner McLaren repeatedly suggested to the FIA that our F1 car should be examined and checked against the competitor's documents," it read. "FIA has not made use of this offer to this day."

McLaren have yet to decide whether to appeal against the FIA penalty but they could press ahead with a separate appeal - scheduled for tomorrow - against losing 15 constructors' championship points which were docked after Fernando Alonso balked his team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the pit lane at Hungary last month.

The FIA president Max Mosley, meanwhile, says he is waiting to see whether McLaren submit any evidence to the governing body on Renault, after McLaren hinted an engineer leaving the company had written gearbox software programmes similar to their own for the French team. ... Guardian Service